Analyser arrangement for particle spectrometer

ABSTRACT

The present invention relates to a method for determining at least one parameter related to charged particles emitted from a particle emitting sample, e.g. a parameter related to the energies, the start directions, the start positions or the spin of the particles. The method comprises the steps of guiding a beam of charged particles into an entrance of a measurement region by means of a lens system, and detecting positions of the particles indicative of said at least one parameter within the measurement region. Furthermore, the method comprises the steps of deflecting the particle beam at least twice in the same coordinate direction before entrance of the particle beam into the measurement region. Thereby, both the position and the direction of the particle beam at the entrance of the measurement region can be controlled in a way that to some extent eliminates the need for physical manipulation of the sample. This in turn allows the sample to be efficiently cooled such that the energy resolution in energy measurements can be improved.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No.15/221,340, filed Jul. 27, 2016, issuing as U.S. Pat. No. 9,978,579 onMay 22, 2018, which is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No.14/363,405, filed Jun. 6, 2014, which is a national phase filing under35 U.S.C. § 371 of International Application No. PCT/SE2012/050251,filed on Mar. 6, 2012, the contents of which are incorporated herein byreference in its entirety.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to a method and an analyser arrangementfor analysing e.g. the energies, the start directions and the startpositions of charged particles emitted from a particle emitting sample,and to a particle spectrometer comprising such an analyser arrangement.In particular, the present invention relates to a method and an analyserarrangement for use in a photo-electron spectrometer of hemisphericaldeflector type.

BACKGROUND

A photo-electron spectrometer of hemispherical deflector type accordingto prior art is illustrated FIG. 1. In a photo-electron spectrometer 1of hemispherical deflector type, a central component is the measurementregion 3 in which the energies of the electrons are analysed. Themeasurement region 3 is formed by two concentric hemispheres 5, mountedon a base plate 7, and with an electrostatic field applied between them.The electrons enter the measurement region 3 through an entrance 8 andelectrons entering the region between the hemispheres 5 with a directionclose to perpendicular to the base plate 7 are deflected by theelectrostatic field, and those electrons having a kinetic energy withina certain range defined by the deflecting field will reach a detectorarrangement 9 after having travelled through a half circle. In a typicalinstrument, the electrons are transported from their source (typically asample 11 that emits electrons after excitation with photons, electronsor other particles) to the entrance 8 of the hemispheres by anelectrostatic lens system 13 comprising a plurality of lenses L1-L3having a common and substantially straight optical axis 15.

For the following description, a Cartesian coordinate system with itsz-axis along the optical axis 15 of the lens system 13 (in most cases anaxis of rotational symmetry) will be used, and with the hemispheressymmetrical with respect to the (y, z) plane. The directions of theelectron trajectories are described by their angles θ_(x) against the(y, z) plane and θ_(y) against the (x, z) plane.

The lens system 13 and the detector arrangement 9 will only acceptelectrons which are emitted within a limited area perpendicular to thelens axis 15 and within a limited angular range. Furthermore, the sourcehas to be positioned within a narrow range in the z-direction to achievethe best properties (in terms of sensitivity and resolution). Thisnecessitates mounting the sample on a manipulator 17 allowing bothtranslations and rotations in all coordinate directions, i.e. sixdegrees of freedom.

In many applications of for example Angle Resolved PhotoelectronSpectroscopy (ARPES) a complete measurement requires full detection of asolid angle with a total cone opening of 30 degrees from a well alignedsample. Depending on sample and excitation energy/kinetic energy therequired angular range may vary. The angle resolution requirements alsovaries with application but typically range from 1 degree down to betterthan 0.1 degrees. In energy resolution the desired span is from 0.5 eVdown to 0.5 meV depending on application. In order to achieve a highresolution measurement the analyser arrangement must have sufficientangular and energy resolution, but since the hemispherical analyserarrangement only accepts electrons emitted within a limited angularrange perpendicular to the lens axis 15, the sample manipulator 17 musthave very high precision movements and repeatability. The manipulator 17is needed to accurately rotate and tilt the sample to build up thecomplete 30 degree solid angle data set.

The energy distribution of electrons emitted from a sample is subject toa thermal broadening which is given by ΔE=3.5*k_(B)[eV/K]*T[K], where ΔEis the energy distribution in eV, k_(B) is the Boltzmann constant, and Tis the temperature in Kelvin. Therefore, in order to achieve the desiredenergy resolution it is imperative that the sample 11 can be cooled tovery low temperatures, e. g. <1 meV broadening requires a sampletemperature of at most 3 K.

The hemispheres 5 disperse the electrons with respect to their energyalong the y-direction in the detector plane (which coincide with theplane of entrance 8 of the measurement region 3 in the hemisphericalanalyser arrangement). In the x-direction, the position in the detectorplane is a direct image of the x-coordinate in the plane of the entrance8 of the hemispheres 5. The entrance 8 of the hemispheres 5 is formed asa narrow slit in the x-direction, hereinafter referred to as theentrance slit of the measurement region or simply the entrance slit.When electrons are allowed into the hemispheres 5 through the narrowentrance slit 8, a two-dimensional detector arrangement 9 willsimultaneously give information about the energy distribution and thedistribution along the entrance slit 8. The two-dimensional detectorarrangement 9 typically comprises a multichannel electron-multiplyingplate (MCP) 19 which is arranged in the same plane as the entrance slit8 of the hemispheres 5 and which generates a measurable electricalsignal at the position of an incoming electron, which can then beregistered either optically by a phosphorous screen and a video camera21 or as an electrical pulse e. g. on a delay line or a resistive anodedetector. Alternatively, some of the energy-selected electrons may beanalysed further, in particular with respect to their spin, afterleaving the hemisphere region through an exit aperture 23 leading to aspin detector 25. In one type of spin detector, electrons which leavethe hemispheres 5 with a direction close to the (negative) z-directionare transmitted through a sequence consisting of a first lens system, a90 degree deflector and a second lens system onto a target, after whichthe distribution of the scattered electrons is measured. Someinstruments include two such spin detectors mounted with the deflectorsat 90 deg angle to each other (i.e. one bending in the (y, z) and oneparallel to the (x, z) plane), with their entrance apertures sitting inthe (y, z) symmetry plane of the hemispheres, at different radial (y)positions on each side of an MCP detector.

For a given electrical field between the hemispheres 5, electrons of oneparticular kinetic energy, called the pass energy (E_(p)), will hit thecentre of the MCP detector 19, and a range called the energy window willfall within the sensitive area of the MCP. The energy dispersion (dy/dE)is inversely proportional to E_(p), while the energy window is directlyproportional to E_(p). In order to achieve a suitable compromise betweenenergy resolution and information rate, it is thus usually necessary toadjust the kinetic energy E_(k) of the emitted electrons to the properpass energy. This energy adjustment is performed by the lens system 13.This consists of a series of lens elements L1-L3 in form of concentricelectrodes (cylinders, truncated cones, apertures, etc.) arranged alongthe optical axis 15, each connected to a voltage supply. Besidesproviding the energy adjustment (acceleration or retardation), the lenssystem 13 also allows placing the sample at a convenient distance fromthe hemispheres 5, and, most important in the present context, it canprovide control of the distribution of the electrons in the plane of theentrance slit 8 of the hemispheres. The acceleration or retardation iscontrolled directly by the potential difference between the sample 11and the hemisphere entrance 8, while the other lens voltages are used tocontrol the electron distribution. The lens system 13 can be operated intwo different modes, referred to as imaging and angle-resolving(angular) mode, respectively. In the imaging mode there is (to firstorder) a point-to-point correspondence between the point of emission andthe (x, y) position in the plane of the entrance slit 8, independent ofthe take-off angle from the sample 11. The entrance slit 8 will thenselect electrons which are emitted from an area of the sample with thesame shape as the entrance slit, and a size given by the lensmagnification, i.e. normally within a narrow range in the y-direction.In the angular mode, the lens voltages are instead arranged in such away that electrons emitted with the same angle (θ_(x), θ_(y)) againstthe lens axis are focused to the same point (x, y) in the plane 26 ofthe entrance slit 8, as illustrated in FIG. 2, in which the y and z axesare drawn in arbitrary units and to different scales. Here, the finalposition is to first order independent of the start position, which isthen fairly uncritical. The electrons accepted by the entrance slit 8then have their take-off angles in the y-direction within a narrowrange, defined by the entrance slit width and the angular dispersion(dy/dθ_(y)), while different take-off angles in the x-direction aredistributed along the entrance slit 8. The angular dispersion is howeverequal in the x and y directions due to the rotational symmetry(dx/dθ_(x)=dy/dθ_(y)) of the lens system. Both the magnification in theimaging mode and the angular dispersion in the angular mode can bechosen at will and kept constant over large ranges in (E_(k)/E_(p)) byadjusting the lens voltages according to pre-calculated functions.

The energy resolution of the hemispheres 5 at a given pass energy isinfluenced both by the width of the entrance slit 8 and the angularspread of the electron beam in the radial direction as it enters thehemispheres (i.e. spread in dy/dz). For each size of the entrance slit 8there is a corresponding angular spread which gives the optimumcombination of intensity and resolution. For narrow entrance slits, i.e.high energy resolution, the corresponding angular spread is quite small,typically 1-2 deg. This angular spread is defined by combining theentrance slit 8 with another slit 27 (hereinafter referred to as theaperture slit) some distance before it, as illustrated in FIG. 3. In thedirection along the entrance slit ((x, z)-plane) there are no suchrestrictions in angles from resolution requirements. Since the exitangle against the median (y, z) plane after the hemisphere is the sameas the entrance angle (dx/dz) against this plane (see in FIG. 1 thetrajectory in the median plane and the trajectory in another plane), thedirections of those electrons which are intended to reach the spindetector entrance apertures have to be quite close to the z-direction,however.

In order to compensate for misalignment of the emission point of theemitting sample 11 with respect to the optical axis 15 of the lenssystem 13, one deflector acting in the x-direction and one deflectoracting in the y-direction are normally incorporated in the lens system.The x-and y-deflectors may be placed after each other along the lensaxis 15, but more often they are combined into one deflector package 29of four electrodes, each of which covers an azimuthal angle close to 90deg (see FIG. 1).

Below, some of the problems with particle spectrometers according toprior art will be discussed with reference to FIG. 1. For convenience,the discussion will mainly refer to the angle-resolving (angular)operating mode of the lens system 13. It should be understood, however,that most of the arguments can be equally well applied to mapping in theimaging mode.

The requirement of efficient cooling to very low temperatures impliesthat the sample 11 has to be in very good thermal contact with thecooling agent, and also efficiently shielded from heat radiation. Thisis in conflict with the mounting on a manipulator 17 with sufficientdegrees of freedom to cover the entire angular range. Mechanicalmovement of the sample 11 also introduces the risk that the emittingarea or the area that is visible to the analyser arrangement of thespectrometer is changed, so spectra taken at different angles are alsoinadvertently taken from different parts of the sample.

To some extent, it is possible to avoid moving the sample 11 by usingthe x-deflector and/or the y-deflector described above to guideelectrons starting either off-axis (in imaging mode) or with a directionwhich is not along the optical axis 15 of the lens system 13 (in angularmode) to the centre of the entrance slit 8. A method presented inJP58200144 A2 provides one variation on this theme. The practicalapplicability of any such approach is quite limited, however, since thetrajectories which reach the centre of the entrance slit 8 with thistechnique will in the general case make an angle against the opticalaxis 15. For deflection in the y-direction (across the slit) they willthen either be stopped by the angle-defining combination of the apertureslit 27 and the entrance slit 8, or give rise to unacceptable loss ofenergy resolution. In the x-direction (along the slit) only trajectorieswithin a relatively small initial angular range will exit within theangular range accepted by a spin detector system. If the intention is tomake use of the entire distribution along the entrance slit 8 there istypically the additional problem that the angular scale is severelydistorted even for quite small deflections.

Furthermore, the achievable angular resolution is dependent of theangular dispersion of the lens system 13. This is most clearly seen inthe y-direction, where the resolution cannot be better than the entranceslit width divided by the angular dispersion. From this point of view,it is often desirable to be able to work with a large dispersion. On theother hand, the range in θ_(x) that can be observed is limited by thesmaller of (length of the hemisphere entrance slit)/(angular dispersion)and the acceptance of the lens front aperture. With increasingdispersion the limitation due to the length of the hemisphere entranceslit may then be too severe, and much smaller than the acceptance of thelens.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is an object of the present invention to solve or at least mitigateone or more of the above mentioned problems.

In particular it is an object of the invention to increase the energyresolution in particle spectrometer measurements, such as photo-electronspectrometer measurements.

This and other objects are achieved by a method for determining at leastone parameter related to charged particles emitted from a particleemitting sample, e.g. a parameter related to the energies, the startdirections, the start positions or the spins of the charged particles.The method comprises the steps of:

-   -   forming a particle beam of said charged particles and        transporting the particles between said particle emitting sample        and an entrance of a measurement region by means of a lens        system having a substantially straight optical axis;    -   deflecting the particle beam in at least a first coordinate        direction perpendicular to the optical axis of the lens system        before entrance of the particle beam into the measurement        region, and    -   detecting the positions of said charged particles in said        measurement region, the positions being indicative of said at        least one parameter.

Furthermore, the method comprises the step of deflecting the particlebeam in the same at least first coordinate direction at least a secondtime before entrance of the particle beam into the measurement region.

By deflecting the particle beam twice in the same coordinate directionbetween the particle emitting sample and the entrance of the measurementregion, both the position and the direction of the particle beam at theentrance of the measurement region can be controlled.

Preferably, the particle beam is deflected at least twice in each of thetwo coordinate directions that are perpendicular to the optical axis ofthe lens system before entrance of the particle beam into themeasurement region. This means that given a three dimensional Cartesiancoordinate system having its z-axis along the optical axis of the lenssystem, the particle beam is preferably deflected at least twice in eachof the x-and y-directions upstream the entrance of the measurementregion from the particles' point of view. In order to fulfil the fourconditions (position and direction in two orthogonal directions) atleast two degrees of freedom are required in each direction.

The method allows a predetermined part of the angular distribution ofthe particles forming the particle beam to pass the entrance of themeasurement region. Preferably, the deflections of the particle beam arecontrolled such that said predetermined part of the angular distributionof the particles passes the entrance of the measurement region in adirection being substantially parallel to the optical axis of the lenssystem. In order to analyse an arbitrary part of the angulardistribution of the particle beam (not only a part lying along the x- ory-axis of the above mentioned Cartesian coordinate system), deflectionof the particle beam may have to be carried out twice in each of the x-and y-direction before entrance of the particle beam into themeasurement chamber.

In one embodiment of the invention, the first and the at least seconddeflections may be controlled such that said predetermined part of theangular distribution of the particles only includes particles emittedfrom the sample at a predetermined start direction (θ_(x0), θ_(y0)) orwithin a predetermined range of start directions.

As the method renders possible to make particles emitted in directionsthat are not parallel to the optical axis of the lens system to enterthe entrance of the measurement region in a direction beingsubstantially parallel to the lens axis, the criteria that the samplesurface must be oriented with the desired emission angle relative to itsnormal parallel to the lens axis is eliminated, which in turn reducesthe need for moving the test sample to achieve this orientation. Thus,the present invention presents a new type of particle beam manipulationwhich, to some extent, eliminates the need for physical manipulation ofthe test sample.

In particular, the proposed particle beam manipulation reduces the needfor tilting and rotating the test sample in the x and y-directions ofthe above mentioned three dimensional Cartesian coordinate system.

Due to the reduced need for complex movability of the manipulator, amanipulator allowing cooling to be applied directly to the test samplecan be used. As mentioned above, this provides for more efficientcooling of the test sample which, in turn, results in increased energyresolution in the measurements obtained by the spectrometer analyser.The reduced need for complex movability of the manipulator allows thetest sample to be attached directly onto a cooling plate allowing thetest sample to be cooled to approximately 2 K, which, with thespectrometer analyser according to the invention, results in an energyresolution of approximately 0.7 meV provided a narrow bandwidthexcitation source is used.

Besides the advantage of increased energy resolution with maintainedangular resolution, a particle spectrometer comprising an analyserarrangement capable of carrying out the above described method can bemanufactured at a lower cost than spectrometers having manipulatorsoffering complex movement of the test sample, such as six-axismanipulators.

Furthermore, the complex movement of the test sample in such aspectrometer according to prior art makes it difficult to continuouslyirradiate, and hence analyse, a well-defined area of the test sample. Asthe present invention eliminates the need for complex movement of thetest sample, it becomes easier to irradiate and analyse a well-definedtarget area of the test sample. In particular, the sample position canbe kept unchanged during a long series of measurements covering alldirections within a solid angle that in many cases is large enough toprovide all physically relevant information.

In the measurement region, the charged particles are deflected by anelectrostatic field and the positions of the particles after deflectionare detected by the detector arrangement. Depending on the design of themeasurement region, the entrance of the measurement region and thedetector arrangement, various particle-related parameters such as theenergies, the start directions or the start positions of the particlescan be determined from the detected positions. Preferably, the detectioninvolves detection of the particle positions in two dimensions, one ofwhich substantially represents the energies of the particles and theother which represents a spatial distribution of the particles along aline in the entrance plane of the measurement region. As the spatialdistribution of the particles along a line in the entrance plane(typically the longitudinal direction of a slit-shaped entrance)provides information about the start directions or start positions ofthe particles, the two-dimensional detector arrangement makes itpossible to determine both the energies and the start directions orstart positions of the particles simultaneously.

Yet another consequence of the ability to control both the position anddirection of the particle beam upon entrance into the measurement regionis that a larger angular range is accessible for detection as comparedto the case with a single deflection of the beam in each coordinatedirection. Furthermore the larger angular range can be studied withmaintained intensity and resolution (energy and angular). The use of twodeflections in the same coordinate direction controlling both positionand direction of the particle beam upon entrance into the measurementregion makes it possible to study an angular range in solid angle thatis substantially defined by the acceptance angle of the lens frontaperture without moving the sample. This is not practically possiblewith a single set of deflectors.

The present invention also provides an analyser arrangement fordetermining at least one parameter related to charged particles emittedfrom a particle emitting sample, which analyser arrangement is capableof carrying out the above described method. To this end, the analyserarrangement comprises a measurement region having an entrance allowingthe charged particles to enter the measurement region, and a detectorarrangement for detecting the positions of the charged particles in themeasurement region, which positions are indicative of said at least oneparameter. Furthermore, the analyser arrangement comprises a lens systemhaving a substantially straight optical axis, which lens system isoperable to form a particle beam of the charged particles emitted fromthe sample and transporting the particles between the sample and saidentrance of the measurement region. The analyser arrangement furtherincludes a deflector arrangement comprising a first deflector fordeflecting the particle beam in at least a first coordinate directionperpendicular to the optical axis of the lens system before entrance ofthe particle beam into the measurement region, and at least a seconddeflector operable to cause deflection of the particle beam in the sameat least first coordinate direction at least a second time beforeentrance of the particle beam into the measurement region.

Preferably, the at least second deflector is arranged downstream thefirst deflector at a distance therefrom along the optical axis of thelens system. As understood from the above discussion, the combinedeffect of the first and the at least second deflector is to controlwhich part of the beam should enter the measurement region and in whichdirection, which allows a selected part of the beam to enter themeasurement region along the direction of the lens axis (i.e. theoptical axis of the lens system).

The deflector arrangement is preferably integrated in the lens system ofthe analyser arrangement, meaning that the lens system and the deflectorarrangement form an integral part. This gives a compact design of theanalyser and reduces the number of separate parts therein. However, thedeflector arrangement may also be arranged upstream or downstream of thelens system of the analyser, in between two lenses of the lens system,or with the at least two deflectors at different positions with respectto the lens system.

For the reasons discussed above, the deflector arrangement is preferablyoperable to deflect the particle beam twice in each of the coordinatedirections that are perpendicular to the optical axis of the lenssystem, i.e. the x- and y-directions, before the particles of theparticle beam passes the entrance of the measurement region.

To this end, the deflector arrangement may comprise e.g. fourdeflectors, two of which are operable to deflect the particle beam inthe x-direction and two of which are operable to deflect the particlebeam in the y-direction.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the deflector arrangementcomprises two deflector packages, each operable to deflect the particlebeam in both the x- and the y-direction. To this end, each deflectorpackage may comprise two electrode pairs operable to generate twoperpendicular components of an electrical field when a voltage isapplied between the electrodes of the respective pairs. The fourelectrodes of each deflector package are preferably arranged in aformation of essentially quadrupolar symmetry.

The analyser arrangement further comprises a control unit forcontrolling the deflection of the particle beam by applying controlledvoltages to the electrodes of the deflector arrangement.

The control unit may be configured to determine the particular startdirection of particles emitted from the sample which enters themeasurement region along the optical axis of the lens system by applyingdeflection voltages according to pre-calculated functions.

In one application, the voltages will be scanned in such a way that aseries of start angles θ_(y) in the y-direction are successivelyrecorded by the measurement system. For each θ_(y) a range of anglesθ_(x) in the x-direction limited by the slit length of the entrance ofthe measurement region are recorded, thus providing a two-dimensionalmap of the angular distribution for each energy within the windowdefined by the detector system. During such an angular scan, thedeflection in the x-direction will typically be kept constant, providinga map over a rectangular area in (θ_(x), θ_(y)). If the lens is operatedat high angular dispersion, a number of such scans with differentdeflections in the x-direction can be combined to give a complete mapover the entire angular acceptance of the lens front aperture. To coverenergy ranges that are larger than the energy window of the detector,the acceleration/retardation voltage between the sample and themeasurement region can also be scanned. This application is applicablebut not limited to for example ARPES measurements (Angle ResolvedPhotoelectron Spectroscopy).

In another application the deflector voltages will be set by the controlunit such that particles emitted within a narrow solid angle around oneselected direction (θ_(x0), θ_(y0)) will enter the measurement regionalong the optical axis of the lens, and after energy analysis particleswithin a narrow energy range with this particular initial direction areallowed into a spin detector.

In both cases, the control unit will vary the voltages on the lens anddeflector electrodes according to pre-calculated functions in order tomaintain the focusing and dispersive properties of the lens and toprovide the required deflection angles.

In a further embodiment of the invention, voltages of quadrupolarsymmetry are superposed on the deflector voltages in at least onedeflector package. Such voltages provide focusing in one plane anddefocusing in the orthogonal plane, and can be applied in order toreduce distortions in the angular map.

As briefly discussed above, the detector arrangement of the analyser istypically arranged to detect the positions of the charged particlesafter further deflection of the particles within the measurement region.The magnitude of deflection of a particle depends on the particle'skinetic energy and so the detected position of the particle in a certaindirection is indicative of the particle energy. As also mentioned above,the detector arrangement is preferably capable of detecting thetwo-dimensional positions of the charged particles in the measurementregion in order to determine both the energies and the start directionsor start positions of the particles. To this end, the detectorarrangement may for example comprise a multichannel electron-multiplyingplate (MCP) which generates a measurable electrical signal at theposition of an incoming particle, which can then be registered eitheroptically by a phosphorous screen and a video camera or as an electricalpulse e. g. on a delay line or a resistive anode detector.

The analyser arrangement is preferably used in a particle spectrometerof the hemispherical deflector type, such as a hemisphericalphoto-electron spectrometer as described in the background portion. Inthis case, the measurement region may hence comprise two concentrichemispheres symmetrical with respect to the (y, z) plane of the abovementioned coordinate system. The hemispheres may be mounted on a baseplate, and have an electrostatic field applied between them. Particlesentering the region between the hemispheres with a direction close toperpendicular to the base plate are deflected by the field, and thoseelectrons having a kinetic energy within a certain range defined by thedeflecting field will reach the detector arrangement after havingtravelled through a half circle. In this embodiment, the entrance of themeasurement region, i.e. the entrance into the hemispheres, is typicallya slit along the x-direction, which allows a detector arrangementcapable of detection in two dimensions to simultaneously giveinformation about the energy distribution and the distribution along theentrance slit, the latter being indicative of either the startdirections or start positions of the particles depending on theoperational mode of the lens arrangement.

In a refined embodiment of the invention, the analyser arrangementcomprises a spin detector. In spin detectors according to prior art,only electrons entering the spin detector within a narrow angular rangearound the axis of its entrance lens are accepted. In a spectrometeraccording to prior art, this means that the electrons also have to leavethe sample parallel to the direction of the spectrometer lens axis. Yetanother advantage of the proposed principle of manipulating the electronbeam instead of or in addition to the test sample is that electronsemitted from the sample at any direction within the acceptance of thelens system can be brought to enter the spin detector along thedirection of the spin detector entrance lens.

The invention also provides a particle spectrometer, such as aphoto-electron spectrometer, comprising an analyser arrangement asdescribed above. In a preferred embodiment, the particle spectrometer isa photo-electron spectrometer of hemispherical deflector type, asdescribed above in the background portion.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The present invention will become more fully understood from thedetailed description provided hereinafter and the accompanying drawingswhich are given by way of illustration only. In the different drawings,same reference numerals correspond to the same element.

FIG. 1 illustrate a photo-electron spectrometer of hemisphericaldeflector type according to prior art.

FIG. 2 illustrates particle trajectories through the lens system of thephoto-electron spectrometer shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 illustrates an aperture slit and an entrance slit of themeasurement region of the photo-electron spectrometer shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 illustrates a photo-electron spectrometer of hemisphericaldeflector type according to an exemplary embodiment of the invention.

FIGS. 5A and 5B are end views of two deflector packages of an analyserarrangement according to an exemplary embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 6 illustrates parts of an analyser arrangement according to anexemplary embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 7 illustrates an exemplary way in which deflector voltages can beapplied to electrodes of the deflector packages shown in FIGS. 5A and5B.

FIGS. 8A and 8B illustrate particle trajectories through the lens systemof an analyser arrangement according to the invention, without and withapplied deflector potentials.

FIGS. 9A to 9C illustrate how selected parts of the angular distributionof emitted particles can be deflected in accordance with the principlesof the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

FIG. 4 illustrates a particle spectrometer 30 according to an exemplaryembodiment of the invention. Besides the differences describedhereinafter, the components and functionality of the particlespectrometer 30 are identical to the components and functionality of thephoto-electron spectrometer 1 of hemispherical deflector type accordingto prior art, described in the background portion with reference toFIGS. 1 to 3. Elements shown in FIG. 4 that correspond to elements inFIGS. 1 to 3 are provided with the same reference numerals and furtherdescriptions thereof are omitted.

The particle spectrometer 30 is hence a photo-electron spectrometer ofhemispherical deflector type comprising an analyser arrangement adaptedfor analysis of energies and start directions or start positions ofcharged particles emitted from a particle emitting sample 11.

As seen in FIG. 4, the analyser arrangement includes a deflectorarrangement 31 comprising a first deflector package 29 and a seconddeflector package 29′. Each of the first and the second deflectorpackages is devised and configured in accordance with the singledeflector package 29 of FIG. 1, described in the background portion.

With simultaneous reference to FIGS. 5A and 5B illustrating end views ofthe first deflector package 29 and the second deflector package 29′,respectively, this means that each of the first and the second deflectorpackage comprises four electrodes 33A-33D, 33A′-33D′, each of whichcovers an azimuthal angle close to 90 deg. The two oppositely arrangedelectrodes in each deflector package form an electrode pair 33A/33C,33B/33D, 33A′/33C′, 33B′/33D′ operable to generate an electrical fieldbetween them by application of a deflector voltage, V_(x), V_(y), and sooperable to deflect the charged particles passing between the electrodesof the deflector package in one coordinate direction. Each suchelectrode pair hence forms a deflector for deflecting the chargedparticles in one coordinate direction.

Given a three dimensional Cartesian coordinate system with its z-axisalong the optical axis 15 of the lens system 13, and with thehemispheres 5 symmetrical with respect to the (y, z) plane, oneelectrode pair 33A/33C, 33A′/33C′ of each deflector package 29, 29′ isarranged to deflect the charged particles in the x-direction, and theother electrode pair 33B/33D, 33B′/33D′ of each deflector package 29,29′ is arranged to deflect the charged particles in the y-direction. Anelectrode pair arranged to deflect the charged particles in thex-direction will hereinafter sometimes be referred to as an x-deflector,and an electrode pair arranged to deflect the charged particles in they-direction will hereinafter sometimes be referred to as they-deflector.

As illustrated in FIG. 6, showing a more detailed view of parts of theanalyser arrangement, the deflector voltages applied to the electrodes33A-33D, 33A′-33D′ of the deflector packages 29, 29′ are controlled by acontrol unit 35. The same control unit 35 may also be configured tocontrol the lens voltages applied to a plurality of concentricelectrodes constituting the lenses L1-L3 of the lens system 13.

The sign and the magnitude of the deflector voltage, V_(x), V_(y),applied between each electrode pair 33A/33C, 33B/33D, 33A′/33C′,33B′/33D′ of the deflector arrangement 31 may be independentlycontrolled by the control unit 35. As illustrated in FIGS. 5A and 5B,the deflector voltage of the x-deflector 33A/33C in the first deflectorpackage 29 is denoted V_(x1), and the deflector voltage of thex-deflector 33A′/33C′ in the second deflector package 29′ is denotedV_(x2). Likewise, the deflector voltages of the y-deflectors 33B/33D,33B′/33D′ in the first and second deflector packages are denoted V_(y1)and V_(y2), respectively.

Thus, the deflector electrodes 33A-33D, 33A′-33D′ in each deflectorpackage 29, 29′ are so arranged that a voltage, ΔV_(x), applied betweenone pair of opposite electrodes 33A/33C, 33A′/33C′ provides deflectiononly in the x-direction and a voltage, ΔV_(y), between the orthogonalpair 33B/33D, 33B′/33D′ provides deflection in the y-direction only.Then, any required deflection (Δx′, Δy′) can be achieved through theapplication of a combination of voltages for deflection in the x- andy-directions. By a proper combination of the voltages applied to thedeflector electrodes, it is then for any combination of entrance anglesof the charged particles into the lens system 13 possible to achievesimultaneously that the exit direction from the deflector region, i.e.the direction of the charged particles when having passed the lastdeflector of the deflector arrangement 31, is parallel to the lens axis15, and that the exit occurs along this axis. This means that thetrajectory for this particular direction is substantially unchanged bythe part of the lens system 13 that is situated after the deflectorarrangement 31 (i.e. downstream the deflector arrangement from theparticles' point of view).

As illustrated in FIG. 7, voltages V_(q) of quadrupolar symmetry can besuperposed on the deflector voltages V_(x), V_(y) applied to theelectrodes of the deflector packages. Although FIG. 7 only shows thefirst deflector package 29 it should be understood that voltages V_(q)of quadrupolar symmetry can be superposed on the deflector voltages inany or both of the first 29 and second 29′ deflector packages. Thesesuperposed voltages, V_(q), are also controlled by the control unit 35to achieve focusing in one plane and defocusing in the orthogonal plane,thereby reducing distortions in the angular map.

FIGS. 8A and 8B are diagrams showing the projections in the (y,z) planeof some trajectories through the lens system 13 for different startdirections of charged particles from the particle emitting sample 11(located at z=0 and with a small extension around y=0 in the illustratedcoordinate systems) without and with deflector potentials ΔV_(x),ΔV_(y), applied to the first and second deflector packages 29, 29′during angular operational mode of the lens system 13. The vertical axisof the diagrams shows the y-coordinate of the previously discussedthree-dimensional coordinate system, and the horizontal axis shows thedistance from the sample in the z-direction of the same coordinatesystem, i.e. the distance from the sample along the optical axis 15 ofthe lens system 13. The axes are drawn in arbitrary units and todifferent scales. Trajectories illustrated by continuous lines aretrajectories of particles emitted from the sample 11 at a take-off angleof 0 degrees with respect to the optical axis 15 of the lens systemwhile trajectories illustrated by dashed lines and dash-dotted linesillustrate corresponding trajectories for take-off angles of 4 and 8degrees, respectively.

FIG. 8A illustrates trajectories when the lens system 13 is operated inan angular mode, without deflector voltages applied to the deflectorpackages 29, 29′. Particles emitted on the lens axis 15 will be guidedthrough the lens system under influence of the different lenses L1-L3(see FIGS. 4 and 6) to the centre of the plane 26 of the entrance slit8. Particles emitted with other angles (θ_(x), θ_(y)) to the lens axiswill be focused to other defined positions on the entrance slit plane26.

FIG. 8B illustrates trajectories when the lens system 13 is operated inan angular mode, with deflector voltages V_(x), V_(y) applied. In thisexemplary embodiment, the deflector voltages applied to the electrodes33A-33D, 33A′-33D′ of the deflector packages 29, 29′ are controlled suchthat a part of the angular distribution of the particles, namely thepart comprising particles emitted with a take-off angle of 8 degrees tothe lens axis 15, is guided to the centre of the plane of the entranceslit 8, where it enters the measurement region 3 in the direction of thelens axis 15. Particles emitted with other angles (θ_(x), θ_(y)) to thelens axis will be focused to other defined positions on the entranceslit plane.

In this exemplary embodiment, the first deflector package 29 bends theparticle trajectories “downwards”, while the second deflector package29′ bends in the opposite direction in such a way that the chosentrajectory gently approaches the lens axis 15. Trajectories startingwith other directions will leave the lens system at positions which areall displaced by substantially the same amount, keeping the dispersionsubstantially the same as without deflection.

FIGS. 9A-9C also illustrate how selected parts A, B of the angulardistribution of emitted particles can be deflected such that theselected part enters the entrance 8 of the measurement region 3 in adirection being substantially parallel to the optical axis 15 of thelens arrangement using the inventive concept described herein, no matterthe take-off angle θ_(x), θ_(y) from the sample 11. FIGS. 9A and 9Billustrate the angular distribution of the particle beam, denoted byreference numeral 39, and FIG. 9C show these angular distributionsmapped onto the hemisphere entrance plane 26 after deflection of theparticle beam.

FIGS. 9A and 9C together illustrate a desired deflection of a part A ofthe angular distribution of the particle beam, and FIGS. 9B and 9Ctogether illustrate a desired deflection of a part B of the angulardistribution of the particle beam, which parts A and B compriseparticles selected to be analysed in the measurement region 3 withrespect to e.g. their energies, start directions, start positions orspin. In accordance with the example illustrated in FIG. 8B, twodeflections in a single coordinate direction (the y-direction) issufficient to make any selected part A of the angular distributionwithin the strip limited by the dashed vertical lines in FIG. 9A enterthe measurement region in a direction being substantially parallel withthe lens axis 15, while two deflections in each of the two coordinatedirections perpendicular to the lens axis 15 (i.e. the x- andy-directions) are required to make any selected part B of the angulardistribution within the strip limited by the dashed vertical lines inFIG. 9B enter the measurement region in a direction being substantiallyparallel with the lens axis. Any selected part of the angulardistribution between the dashed vertical lines in FIG. 9B, with itscentre at (θ_(x), θ_(y)), can be made to enter the measurement region ifthe voltage V_(x) is set to make trajectories with the fixed startdirection θ_(x)≠0 exit with x=0 and dx/dz=0, while the voltage V_(y) isvaried to make successive directions θ_(y) exit with y=0 and dy/dz=0.

Once again with reference to FIG. 6, the first 29 and the second 29′deflector packages are arranged concentrically around the optical axis15 of the lens system 13, separated by some distance, such that thecharged particles pass between the electrode pairs 33A/33C, 33B/33D,33A′/33C′, 33B′/33D′ of the deflector packages on their way between theparticle emitting sample 11 and the entrance 8 of the measurement region3. For different applications the number of lens elements in the lensarrangement 13 and/or the length of the complete lens arrangement 13(including the integrated deflector arrangement 31) can varysubstantially as different applications may require differentcombinations of individual lens elements L1, L2, L3. Preferably, none ofthe deflectors of the deflector arrangement 31 should be located closerto the end of the lens element L2 within which it is arranged thanapproximately one lens element radius from an end of said lens elementL2. Furthermore, the distance between the first 29 and the second 29′deflector packages should preferably be at least the radius of the lenselement L2 within which the deflector packages are arranged. Thus, whenthe first 29 and second 29′ deflector packages are arranged within thesame lens element L2 having a certain lens element radius, the firstdeflector package 29 is preferably located at a distance of at least onelens element radius from the front of the lens element L2, and thesecond deflector package 29′ is preferably located at a distance of atleast one lens element radius from both the first deflector package 29and the end of the lens element L2. This is to avoid electrostaticpotential cross talk between the first and second deflector package aswell as in order to give the charged particle some time to change itsdirection before entering the next deflector.

Furthermore, the deflectors 33A/33C, 33B/33D, 33A′/33C′, 33B′/33D′ ofthe deflector arrangement 31 are preferably so situated with respect tothe lens elements L1-L3 of the lens arrangement 13 that the regioncontaining the deflector electrodes and their separation issubstantially free from electrical fields other than those generated bythe deflector electrodes themselves. To this end, as illustrated inFIGS. 5A and 5B, the deflector electrodes 33A-33D, 33A′-33D′ arepreferably arranged inside a cylindrical tube 41, 41′ with theirelectrical potentials referred to the potential of this tube. Thus, inthe preferred embodiment in which the deflector arrangement 31 comprisestwo deflector packages 29, 29′, each comprising four electrodes 33A-33D,33A′-33D′, the electrodes of each deflector package form cylindricalsectors with a four-fold rotational symmetry so as to form asubstantially cylindrically shaped deflector package, which cylindricaldeflector package is arranged within an outer cylindrical tube 41, 41′.

Although integrated in the lens system 13 in the exemplary embodimentillustrated in the drawings, it should be appreciated that thedeflectors 33A/33C, 33B/33D, 33A′/33C′, 33B′/33D′ of the deflectorarrangement 31 may be arranged in other ways in relation to the lenssystem 13 and the individual lens elements L1-L3 thereof. For example,the deflector arrangement 31 and all its deflectors might be placed inan “upstream position” between the sample 11 and the front of the lenssystem 13 or in a “downstream position” between the exit of the lenssystem 13 and the entrance slit 8 of the hemispheres 5. Sucharrangements may be advantageous in some circumstances, insofar thatthey further decouple the deflection and lens actions. For instance, fora system that is entirely dedicated to observation of one singledirection at a time (e. g. a dedicated spin detection system), anupstream position of the deflector arrangement 31 might allow a largerangular range than the integrated solution. The increased distancebetween the sample 11 and lens arrangement 13 would, however, result inan unfavourable reduction of the angular acceptance for normalapplications. With a downstream position of the deflector arrangement31, the increased distance between the last active lens element L3 andthe entrance slit 8 of the measurement region 3 would reduce theflexibility in dispersion and energy range.

Therefore, in a preferred embodiment of the invention, the deflectors33A/33C, 33B/33D, 33A′/33C′, 33B′/33D′ of the deflector arrangement 31are arranged in relation to the individual lens elements L1-L3 of thelens arrangement 13 such that at least one lens acts on the particlebeam before the first deflection thereof, and at least one lens acts onthe particle beam after the last deflection thereof. Also, alldeflectors of the deflector arrangement 31 are preferably arrangedwithin the same lens element L2 of the lens system 13, meaning that alldeflectors of the deflector arrangement are surrounded by the sameelectrical potential. This is advantageous in that it facilitatescontrol of the deflector voltages and lens voltages required to make adesired part of the angular distribution of the particle beam pass theentrance 8 of the measurement region 3 in parallel with the lens axis15.

As discussed above, in a preferred design, the deflector electrodes areshaped as cylindrical sectors packaged inside two deflector packages 29,29′ with a four-fold rotational symmetry, and the two deflector packagesare identical both in cross section and length. However, it should beunderstood that neither of these features is essential for the operationof the analyser arrangement. Planar or otherwise shaped electrodes areconceivable and might have advantages e. g. to reduce distortions of theangular patterns. Arrangements with 8 (or 4 n) poles in at least one ofthe packages are also possible. Reflection symmetry with respect to the(x, z) and (y, z) planes is highly desirable from the practical point ofview, but not strictly necessary.

It should also be understood that the invention is not limited to theembodiments described above, but can be varied within the scope of thesubsequent claims.

1. A method for determining at least one parameter related to chargedparticles emitted from a particle emitting sample, comprising the stepsof: forming a particle beam of said charged particles and transportingthe particles between said particle emitting sample and an entrance of ameasurement region by a lens system having a substantially straightoptical axis; deflecting the particle beam in at least a firstcoordinate direction perpendicular to the optical axis of the lenssystem before entrance of the particle beam into the measurement region;deflecting the particle beam in the same at least first coordinatedirection at least a second time before entrance of the particle beaminto the measurement region; and detecting the positions of said chargedparticles in said measurement region, the positions being indicative ofsaid at least one parameter.
 2. The method according to claim 1, whereinthe first deflection of the particle beam is effectuated by a firstdeflector, and the at least second deflection of the particle beam iseffectuated by at least a second deflector arranged downstream of thefirst deflector at a distance therefrom along the optical axis of thelens system.
 3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the particlebeam is deflected at least twice also in a second coordinate directionperpendicular to the first coordinate direction and the optical axis ofthe lens system before entrance of the particle beam into themeasurement region.
 4. The method according to claim 1, wherein alldeflections of the particle beam takes place within the lens system,meaning that at least one lens acts on the particles before the firstdeflection of the particle beam and at least one lens acts on theparticles after the last deflection of the particle beam.
 5. The methodaccording to claim 1, wherein at least one deflection of the particlebeam is effectuated by a deflector package comprising four electrodesarranged in a formation of essentially quadrupolar symmetry wherein thefour electrodes form two electrode pairs serving as deflectors in arespective coordinate direction, further comprising the steps of:applying a first deflector voltage between one of the two electrodepairs of the deflector package; applying a second deflector voltagebetween the other electrode pair of the deflector package, and applyingvoltages of quadrupolar symmetry to the electrodes of the deflectorpackage, superposed on said deflection voltages.
 6. The method accordingto claim 1, further comprising the step of controlling the deflectionsof the particle beam such that a predetermined part of the angulardistribution of the particles forming the particle beam passes theentrance of the measurement region.
 7. The method according to claim 6,further comprising the step of controlling the deflections of theparticle beam such that said predetermined part of the angulardistribution of the particles passes the entrance of the measurementregion in a direction being substantially parallel to the optical axisof the lens system.
 8. The method according to claim 1, wherein said atleast one parameter relates to at least one of: the energies of thecharged particles; the start directions of the charged particles; thestart positions of the charged particles, and the spin of the chargedparticles.
 9. The method according to claim 1, wherein the step ofdetecting the positions of the charged particles involves detection ofthe positions in two dimensions, one of which is indicative of theenergies of the particles and one of which is indicative of the startdirections or the start positions of the particles.
 10. An analyserarrangement for determining at least one parameter related to chargedparticles emitted from a particle emitting sample, comprising: ameasurement region having an entrance allowing said particles to enterthe measurement region; a lens system for forming a particle beam ofsaid charged particles and transporting the particles between saidparticle emitting sample and said entrance of the measurement region,said lens system having a substantially straight optical axis; adeflector arrangement comprising a first deflector for deflecting theparticle beam in at least a first coordinate direction perpendicular tothe optical axis of the lens system before entrance of the particle beaminto the measurement region, and a detector arrangement for detectingthe positions of the charged particles in the measurement region, saidpositions being indicative of said at least one parameter, the deflectorarrangement further comprising at least a second deflector operable tocause deflection of the particle beam in the same at least firstcoordinate direction (x, y) at least a second time before entrance ofthe particle beam into the measurement region.
 11. The analyserarrangement according to claim 10, wherein the second deflector isarranged downstream the first deflector at a distance therefrom alongthe optical axis of the lens system.
 12. The analyser arrangementaccording to claim 10, wherein the deflector arrangement is operable tocause deflection of the particle beam at least twice also in a secondcoordinate direction perpendicular to the first coordinate direction andthe optical axis of the lens system before entrance of the particle beaminto the measurement region.
 13. The analyser arrangement according toclaim 12, wherein the deflector arrangement comprises at least onedeflector package comprising four electrodes arranged in a formation ofessentially quadrupolar symmetry wherein the four electrodes of thedeflector package form two electrode pairs serving as deflectors in arespective coordinate direction of said first and second coordinatedirections.
 14. The analyser arrangement according to claim 13, furthercomprising a control unit configured to apply individual voltages toeach of the electrodes.
 15. The analyser arrangement according to claim10, wherein the deflector arrangement and the lens system are arrangedsuch that at least one lens element of the lens system is positionedupstream of all deflectors of the deflector arrangement and at least oneother lens element of the lens system is positioned downstream of alldeflectors of the deflector arrangement.
 16. The analyser arrangementaccording to claim 10, wherein all deflectors of the deflectorarrangement are arranged within the same lens element of the lensarrangement.
 17. The analyser arrangement according to claim 10, whereinthe deflector arrangement form an integral part of the lens system. 18.The analyser arrangement according to claim 10, further comprising acontrol unit operable to cause the deflector arrangement to deflect theparticle beam such that a predetermined part of the angular distributionof the particles forming the particle beam passes the entrance of themeasurement region.
 19. The analyser arrangement according to claim 18,wherein the control unit is operable to cause the deflector arrangementto deflect the particle beam such that said predetermined part of theangular distribution of the particles passes the entrance of themeasurement region in a direction being substantially parallel to theoptical axis of the lens system.
 20. The analyser arrangement accordingto claim 10, wherein the detector arrangement is configured to determinethe positions of the charged particles in two dimensions, one of whichis indicative of the energies of the particles and one of which isindicative of the start directions or the start positions of theparticles.
 21. A particle spectrometer for analysing a particle emittingsample, wherein the particle spectrometer comprises an analyserarrangement according to claim
 10. 22. The particle spectrometeraccording to claim 21, wherein the particle spectrometer comprises aphoto-electron spectrometer of hemispherical deflector type.